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Scripture Reading: John 1:17; 14:6; 17:17; 1 Tim. 3:15-16; 4:3b, 7-8; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:8; 4:4
In John 14:6 the Lord said, “I am the way and the reality and the life.” The Greek word for reality in this verse may also be translated as “truth” (cf. 17:17). We first experience Christ as our life. This life experienced by us becomes our reality, and this reality is the way for us to do everything. The proper way to live, work, serve, and worship is the reality, the truth, which we have through the experience of Christ. We saw in the previous chapter that the way to preach the gospel is to experience Christ. The way for us to preach the gospel is not the demonstration of natural ability or the use of gimmicks, such as plays or musical performances. The unique and living way to preach the gospel is simply to live Christ, grow Christ, and produce Christ.
John 1:17 says, “The law was given through Moses; grace and reality came through Jesus Christ.” Truth, or reality, is not doctrine. This verse would not make sense if the word doctrine were used in place of reality. In this verse the apostle John places the law in contrast to reality, or truth. The law being given indicates that it is not a person, and reality coming indicates that it is a person. The law was a shadow, a type, a prefigure, or a picture; the truth is the reality. If I intend to visit some people who have never seen me, I may send them my photograph before I arrive. Thus, the photograph is given, but the person comes.
The Old Testament is called the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:40). Before Christ came, God gave many pictures of Christ in the books of the Old Testament. However, seeing pictures cannot substitute for meeting the real person. Therefore, we must not stop with the Old Testament. In the New Testament we have the person, Jesus Christ. The person came, and now He is present, new, and living in us. We have an active and energizing person living in us. This person is the reality of every positive thing.
In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let Us make man in Our image.” Man being made in God’s image is a shadow, a picture. Man was made in God’s image, but the real image of God is Christ. Colossians 1:15 says that Christ is the image of the invisible God. Thus, Christ is seen in Genesis 1 in a shadow. The body of the shadow, the One who is the image of the invisible God, came in the New Testament. Christ came as the image of the invisible God, the tangible expression of God. John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” Christ is the expression of the unseen God, the image of the invisible God. The picture of God’s image is in Genesis 1, but the person who is the real image of God is in the New Testament.
The tree of life in Genesis 2 also is a picture of Christ as the real tree of life. John 1:4 says, “In Him was life.” In 11:25 and 14:6 the Lord said that He is the life. Then in 15:1 He said, “I am the true vine.” All other vines are shadows; Christ is the real vine. John reveals that Christ is life and the true vine. This indicates that Christ is the reality of the tree of life. It is for this reason that John 1:17 says, “Reality came through Jesus Christ.”
In Genesis 3 Adam and Eve fell and were poisoned by the serpent. Then God came in to judge the serpent, telling him, “I will put enmity / Between you and the woman / And between your seed and her seed; / He will bruise you on the head” (v. 15). The seed of the woman mentioned here is a shadow. The reality of the seed of the woman is the child brought forth by a virgin (Matt. 1:23). Galatians 4:4 says, “When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.” Christ is the seed of the woman, who bruised the head of Satan. Thus, the shadow, the picture, was presented in Genesis 3, and the reality, the person, came in Galatians 4.
The Old Testament is a book of shadows and pictures, and the New Testament is a book of fulfillment, reality, and truth. This truth is a person.
In Exodus 12 the children of Israel killed and ate a lamb, and its blood was applied to their doorposts. This caused God to pass over the children of Israel and strengthened them to make an exodus out of Egypt to a place to which God had called them. All this was a shadow. In the New Testament, when John the Baptist saw the Lord, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The lamb in Exodus 12 was a shadow, a picture; Christ is the Lamb of God in reality.
As the children of God, we need to know, realize, apprehend, experience, hold on to, and practice the truth. Many Christians have the wrong concept that they need to learn many doctrines. The New Testament stresses not doctrines but truth. The word truth is used again and again in the two Epistles to Timothy. First Timothy 3:15 says that the church is the pillar and base of the truth. The “full knowledge of the truth” is mentioned four times (2:4; 4:3; 2 Tim. 2:25; 3:7). Second Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman, cutting straight the word of the truth.” Verse 8 of chapter 3 says, “These also oppose the truth.” Verse 4 of chapter 4 says, “They will turn away their ear from the truth.” The truth is mentioned repeatedly throughout the two Epistles to Timothy because these letters were written at a time when the church was in degradation. The church had degraded from the truth and reality to forms, empty doctrines, and vain teachings. Paul wrote these two Epistles to recover the church to truth and reality. The same kind of recovery is needed today. The Lord has a recovery in order to recover Christ. Because Christ is the truth, the reality, the recovery of Christ is the recovery of the truth.
It is possible to study doctrines concerning the Lord’s table but neglect the reality of the Lord’s table. I am concerned that today in the local churches we may come to the Lord’s table only to have a remembrance according to the outward teaching; we may not apprehend the reality of the Lord’s table. When we take the bread, we should realize that we are participating in the Body of Christ. We should not keep a doctrinal form yet not have any realization of the truth. We should not have many teachings but not care for the reality, which is Christ Himself.
In Matthew 23:8 the Lord said, “Do not be called Rabbi, for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.” In verse 10 He said, “Neither be called instructors, because One is your Instructor, the Christ.” The word instructors in this verse may also be translated as “guides,” or “directors.” In the New Testament age we have only one unique Leader — the Lord Jesus (Acts 5:31). It is possible to learn this doctrine yet not see the reality that in the New Testament the headship and lordship of Christ are fully established.
In the Old Testament age the headship and lordship of Christ were not yet fully established. At that time Christ was only the Son of God with divinity; He was not yet the Son of Man with humanity. Christ was not anointed as the Messiah until He became a man (Matt. 3:16). Christ was and is eternally the Son of God, but before the New Testament time He did not possess the human nature. He was God but not yet man; He had divinity but was without humanity. To be the Messiah, Christ needed to be a man with the human nature. Thus, although Christ was the Son of God and even God Himself in the Old Testament age, His headship and lordship were not established, because He was not yet a man.
God needed a man in order to fulfill His eternal purpose, and God needed a man also to defeat Satan, His enemy. Satan was an angel created by God, but he rebelled. However, God would not lower His status as the Creator to deal with one of His creatures. Therefore, He needed another creature to deal with Satan. For this reason God created man. However, the first man failed God and fell. Eventually, the second man came (1 Cor. 15:47); He was born of a virgin and was called Jesus. As a man having blood and flesh, He went to the cross to accomplish God’s eternal purpose. By His redeeming death, He destroyed Satan. “Since therefore the children have shared in blood and flesh, He also Himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death He might destroy him who has the might of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14). After His accomplishments on the cross Christ resurrected, and in resurrection He ascended to the heavens. In Christ’s ascension God inaugurated Him into the headship and the lordship. At that time God established Jesus Christ the Nazarene to be the Lord of all. In the heavens a man was made the Lord of all. Ephesians 1:22 says, “He subjected all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church.” In His ascension Christ was made the Head and the Lord.
We need to see that today there is only one Head and one Lord in the universe, that is, Christ. This is the reason that God did not ordain any organized system of human leadership in the New Testament. Any such leadership would be an insult to the headship of Christ. We need to learn this truth. When we are asked who the leader of our church is, we should answer that Christ, and not anyone else, is the Leader. Everyone, including the young sisters, needs to learn the truth. If we hear anyone say that someone other than Christ is the head or the leader of the church, we should immediately stand up and say, “No, the truth in the New Testament is that we have only one Head. In the universe and in God’s economy there is only one Head — Christ.”
It is crucial to know and practice the truth of Christ being the unique Head and Leader. Within the last few years a certain brother traveled to many places and told the saints that he is the future leader of the Lord’s recovery. Regrettably, many saints accepted this kind of speaking. Even in a meeting of elders from different localities, some promoted this brother, telling the other elders that he is God’s anointed and that they all need to submit to him. Because some brothers who know the truth were there, they should have stood up and spoken a word of the truth, saying, “Brothers, in the Lord’s recovery there is no organization. Since there is no organization, there cannot be a leader. We should never form a hierarchy with an official leader, for this insults the headship of Christ.”
If we do not have the truth, we are in darkness. It is erroneous to say that a certain brother is God’s unique anointed leader. The truth is that every member of Christ is anointed. If anyone says that we should submit to a certain brother because he is God’s anointed, we should say, “We all are anointed.” Ephesians 5:21 says, “Being subject to one another.” Because we all are anointed, we all need to submit to one another. Only Christ is the unique Head.
In the Old Testament times God ordained that there be one king among His people. However, in the New Testament there were always several apostles and several elders in each local church. The plurality of the apostleship and of the eldership indicates that today God has ordained only one Head. In God’s economy there is only one Head and one Lord. Christ alone is the King, the Lord, and the Head.
We often try to understand spiritual matters according to our human mentality. We may think that although we are not the head, we are a “subhead.” According to our natural concept, our body has a head and many subheads. This is wrong. There is only one head in the body; no other members are heads or subheads. The notion of subheads in the Body is a human invention inspired by the devil.
The head gives orders directly to every part of our body. The head gives orders directly to the fingers, just as it gives orders directly to the shoulders. The head does not send a message to one member and depend on that member to pass on the message to another member. There is no difference in how the head gives orders to different members. In the whole body there is only one unique head.
The matter of Christ being the unique Head and the unique Leader is not merely a doctrine but a truth. Our one Head and Leader is the Son of God, the man of Nazareth, Jesus Christ. If we see this truth, no hierarchy will ever be built up among us. A small local church was told recently that they should submit to a larger nearby church. This is organization, which leads to hierarchy and insults the headship of Christ. This is a crucial matter. To think that one church should submit to another church is altogether in darkness. If we hear this kind of speaking, we should immediately rise up and declare that this is an insult to our Head, Christ.
The Lord said, “This cup is the new covenant established in My blood, which is being poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). The cup of the Lord’s table is not only a doctrine; it implies the truth. In the Bible cup means “portion.” For example, the cup of salvation is the portion of God’s salvation (Psa. 116:13), and the cup of blessing is the portion of God’s blessing (1 Cor. 10:16). Negatively, the cup of God’s wrath is the portion of God’s wrath (Rev. 14:10). Thus, a cup is quite significant, whereas a bottle conveys no truth.
Whenever we come to the Lord’s table and see the loaf, we should see the Body of Christ and thank the Lord for making us members of His Body. All that Christ is and has accomplished is in His Body, in which we are participating. When we see the cup, we should thank the Lord for such a portion of blessing that has been given to us. God Himself is in this portion as our blessing. Thus, the cup is related to the truth of the Lord’s table.
We are not for keeping forms. Rather, we are for practicing the truth and apprehending the reality. By partaking of the loaf, we participate in the Body of Christ. By drinking the cup, we receive the divine portion given to us by our redeeming God. There is truth in these outward practices.
The young brothers and sisters in the Lord’s recovery need to learn the truth. The United States has become a strong nation because it has a strong constitution. Even the president must follow the Constitution. The church should be like this. We care for the truth. The truth is the “constitution” of the church. If we follow persons rather than the truth, the church cannot be strong.
The young brothers and sisters must spend time to study the Word of God in order to know the truth. First Timothy 4:3 mentions “those who believe and have full knowledge of the truth.” We need not only to believe in the Lord Jesus but also to know the truth. Therefore, we all need to study the Bible to know the truth, not merely the doctrines. In 3:15 Paul says that the church is the pillar and base of the truth. The church includes every believer. God’s truth today rests upon the church, including the young people. Everyone in the church should bear the truth. We are the pillar and base of God’s truth.
Suppose a Christian speaker tells the saints in a large church that they should take the lead and that the other churches should be subject to them. This may seem to be a good idea. However, placing one church over others is something of organization and hierarchy, which insult the headship of Christ. If we do not have the adequate, thorough knowledge of the truth, it is difficult for us to have the necessary discernment in such matters.
First Corinthians 14:29 says, “As to prophets, two or three should speak, and the others discern.” When anyone is speaking, all the brothers and sisters should exercise discernment. If we all are watching over a speaker in this way, we will be protected. In the Lord’s recovery we care only for Christ, and Christ is the truth, the reality. In order to learn the truth and be brought to the full knowledge of the truth, we need to spend time in the Bible.
The truth leads to godliness. First Timothy 3:15b-16a says, “The church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth. And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was manifested in the flesh.” Christ first ascended to the heavens and then was preached among the nations. However, in verse 16 taken up in glory is listed after preached among the nations. Therefore, taken up in glory refers also to the church’s rapture. This indicates that the manifestation of God in the flesh mentioned in this verse refers not only to Christ but also to the church. It is logical to say that the manifestation of God in the flesh is both Christ and the church, for Christ is the Head and the church is His Body. If the Head, Christ, is the manifestation of God in the flesh, surely the church, His Body, also is the manifestation of God in the flesh.
The mystery of godliness is God manifested in the flesh. Godliness is simply to manifest God. Verse 15, which concerns the church being the pillar and base of the truth, being followed by verse 16, which concerns godliness, indicates that the truth leads to the manifestation of God. Whenever we practice the truth, the result will be the manifestation of God in the flesh.
We should not argue about doctrinal points. If we argue, we will become disoriented. We only need to know and practice the truth. Truth leads to godliness, which is the manifestation of God in the flesh. We should care for reality, which leads to godliness. We are the witnesses of the Lord Jesus (Acts 1:8), and our living should be a testimony of Jesus. Whatever we do and say and the way we act should cause others to see God manifested in us. This is the truth leading to godliness. We care for this truth, this reality, which is Christ as the embodiment of our Triune God. This is the proper way to practice the church life.
Question: Although Christ is the unique Head, we do have leading brothers and elders in the churches. What exactly is their relationship to the rest of the Body?
Answer: In the Bible every truth has different aspects. In order to understand a truth, we must understand all its aspects. We also need to consider the context in which the truth is mentioned in the Bible. When we consider the elders according to the natural concept, we think that the elders are higher than the other members. However, we should not understand any truth in the Bible according to our natural mentality.
In Matthew 20:21 the mother of James and John, who was a sister of the mother of Jesus, requested of the Lord, “Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your kingdom.” In verse 23 the Lord said to James and John, “My cup you shall indeed drink, but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” Verse 24 continues, “And when the ten heard this, they were indignant concerning the two brothers.” This indicates that all twelve disciples were ambitious. Verses 25 through 27 say, “Jesus called them to Him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you shall be your slave.” A basic principle among the people of God is that whoever wants to be great must be a serving one, even a slave.
First Peter 5:3, a word to the elders, says, “Nor as lording it over your allotments but by becoming patterns of the flock.” The elders are not lords who give orders; they are examples. If there is a need for someone to clean the restroom in the meeting hall, the elders should take the lead. The elders need to be the example in all areas of service, and the rest of the saints should follow them. This is unlike worldly society, in which the leading ones sit on “thrones” as lords, giving orders for others to do things.
First Corinthians 12:28 says, “God has placed some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then works of power, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.” Helps must refer to the services of the deacons, and administrations must refer to the functions of the elders. According to our human concept, the elders are higher than the deacons, but here the apostle Paul lists the services of the deacons before the functions of the elders. Paul surely does this purposefully in order to indicate that there should be no concept among the Lord’s children of who is higher and who is lower. The positions in the Body do not indicate who is higher and who is lower; rather, the members are simply positioned according to their functions.
Because the worldly mentality and the natural human mind cannot understand the divine concept of matters such as the position and function of the elders and leading ones in the church, we should not bring the worldly mentality or the natural human mind into the church life. The elders are not higher than others. Nevertheless, Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey the ones leading you and submit to them.” The ones leading us are the elders. On the one hand, the elders are slaves, but on the other hand, the saints in the church should obey their leading ones. We need to have this balance.
Another matter concerning the elders in the churches is that the Lord never allows there to be only one elder in a church. The New Testament reveals that the elders or overseers should always be plural in number. This plurality annuls any headship among the leaders. The elders in a church should not choose from among themselves one brother to be the top elder over the others. This is hierarchy, and it is darkness, for it is not according to the truth. Some may think that Peter was first among all the apostles and elders, but Peter was not the leader officially or permanently; his leadership was according to his spiritual capacity at the time. On the day of Pentecost he had the top spiritual capacity. However, in Acts 15 he lost the capacity, and James took the lead. In the four Gospels and the Acts, whenever the apostles’ names are listed, Peter’s name is first, but Galatians 2:9 lists James first and Peter second. Peter became second because he became spiritually weak. He lost some of his capacity. By this we can see that the leadership among the apostles and elders is not official, permanent, or organizational.
The case of Paul and Barnabas also proves that the leadership in the New Testament age depends upon the present spiritual capacity. When Paul and Barnabas were called in Acts 13:2, Barnabas was mentioned first. On their journey, however, Paul came to the forefront, because by that time he had a higher spiritual capacity (v. 9). This indicates that there is no official, permanent, or organizational leadership among God’s people today.
